There are a number of different types of receptacles that may be used for holding a growing plant. Examples of such receptacles include window boxes, square or rectangular planters, and frusto-conical and cylindrical flowerpots.
Most plant receptacles will typically feature one or more drain holes to enable water to drain from the soil contained within the receptacle. The drain hole(s) also function to provide a flow path for air into, or out of, the bottom of the receptacle. To effectively achieve these functions, the drain hole(s) must be located in, or proximate, the bottom of the receptacle.
A significant problem experienced with the above-described prior art plant receptacles results from the manner in which the drain hole(s) are covered. Prior to filling the receptacle with soil, it is a common practice to place pot shards or stones within the receptacle to partially cover the drain hole(s). These objects function to prevent the soil within the receptacle from escaping via the hole(s). However, if a drain hole is excessively covered, the roots will rot due to insufficient drainage and aeration. If too little of a drain hole is covered, a significant amount of soil may escape from the receptacle.
In an effort to overcome the above-noted problem, it is known in the art to employ a specially-designed plant receptacle system. The system includes a unique plant receptacle and a shaped plastic plate. The plate fits within the receptacle and sits above the receptacle's drain hole. The plate features a plurality of downwardly-extending support legs that are received within complementary sockets in the receptacle's bottom surface. When the receptacle is filled with soil and a user applies water to the surface of the soil, perforations in the plate's top surface allow the water to flow through the plate. The water can then exit the receptacle via the receptacle's drain hole. The plate's perforations are of a small enough size to substantially prevent the flow of soil through the plate.
One important aspect of the above-described system is that the plate's diameter must exactly match the inner diameter of the receptacle, as measured at a point just above the receptacle's bottom surface. If a tight fit is lacking, the soil will flow past the perimeter of the top of plate, travel beneath the plate, and then escape the receptacle via the drain hole. This effectively prevents the use of the plate in any conventional plant receptacle where there would be a gap between the receptacle's sidewall and the perimeter of the plate.
While most plant receptacles having one or more drain holes, this is not the case for plant receptacles that are “self-watering.” A self-watering plant receptacle has no drain holes and instead features a dedicated liquid reservoir and a wick structure that functions to deliver the water from the reservoir into the soil above the reservoir. The advantage of a self-watering receptacle is that frequent watering of the plant is not required. Once a user fills the reservoir, the receptacle will maintain the soil in a moist state for an extended period of time. However, this type of receptacle can be quite expensive and may therefore not be readily available and/or practical.